In the ancient world, the cross was a symbol and an object of torture for malefactors, and it aroused a sentiment of fear and repulsion in people’s souls. For the Hebrews, the cross was known as a sign of curse; it is written in Deuteronomy 21:22-23 that he who is hung on the tree is a curse before God.
After the Son of God was hung on it, the cross immediately became the sacrificial altar of Christianity. On this altar the sacrifice of reconciliation between man and God was offered.
~ Fr. Roman Braga
Ten years ago, in May 2014, I traveled to Romania to present a paper at a conference in Alba Iulia in Transylvania. Romania is a beautiful country marked by centuries of conquest and tragedy, not least the period of communism in the twentieth century. Of the many horrors of this time, the Pitesti prison is known for being particularly dark and evil, diabolic even. Fr. Roman Braga, of blessed memory, had been a prisoner there as a young man. Unexpectedly, in my trip from Bucharest to Alba Iulia, I discovered I would be visiting the prison in Pitesti. I recorded my memory at the time and present it below without major revision:
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Everyday Asceticism 